Neither the sky nor the earth have been quiet tonight. Calphurnia
cried out three times in her sleep, “Help, someone!
They’re murdering Caesar!” Who’s
there?

Enter a SERVANT

A SERVANT
enters.

SERVANT

My lord.

SERVANT

My lord?

CAESAR

5Go bid the priests do present sacrifice

And bring me their opinions of success.

CAESAR

Go tell the priests to perform a sacrifice immediately, and bring
me their interpretation of the results.

SERVANT

I will, my lord.

SERVANT

I will, my lord.

Exit SERVANT

The SERVANT
exits.

Enter CALPHURNIA

CALPHURNIA
enters.

CALPHURNIA

What mean you, Caesar? Think you to walk forth?

You shall not stir out of your house today.

CALPHURNIA

What are you doing, Caesar? Are you planning to go out?
You’re not leaving the house today.

CAESAR

10Caesar shall forth. The things that threatened me

Ne'er looked but on my back. When they shall see

The face of Caesar, they are vanishèd.

CAESAR

I will go out. The things that threaten me have only seen my back.
When they see the face of Caesar, they will vanish.

CALPHURNIA

Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,

Yet now they fright me. There is one within,

15Besides the things that we have heard and seen,

Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.

A lioness hath whelpèd in the streets,

And graves have yawned and yielded up their dead.

CALPHURNIA

Caesar, I never believed in omens, but now they frighten me. A
servant told me the night-watchmen saw horrid sights too, but
different ones from what we heard and saw. A lioness gave birth in
the streets, and graves cracked open and thrust out their
dead.